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Russia has been helping Iran develop supersonic cruise missiles, which are extremely difficult to intercept, the Financial Times reported on September 1.
According to the British newspaper, the development program began in 2023 and, if successful, would give the Islamic Republic a significantly greater ability to attack United States aircraft carriers and other vessels, in addition to ground targets.
The FT said its investigation was based on Russian correspondence, travel records and military patents, and described the program as “one of the most significant known transfers of strategic military technology from Moscow to Tehran.”
The project, codenamed “C430L,” was organized by Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state arms exporter, and also involved NPO Mashinostroyenia, a missile design organization.
Documents show that officials from both organizations traveled multiple times to Iran before the C430L project was formalized in November 2023, the FT reported.
The program continued into 2026, with June correspondence showing discussions on the next stage, though it is not clear if that has begun, the report said. Work was still happening when the U.S. and Israel launched their war on the Islamic Republic in February.
According to the FT, the development program is focused on a ramjet propulsion system that would allow a cruise missile to fly at multiple times the speed of sound.
Some of Russia’s top experts in the field were involved in the Iranian program, the newspaper said, and Russian engineers analyzed data from an Iranian ramjet engine system.
The report said that Iran built and tested the system, but there is no evidence that a supersonic cruise missile using the technology has been deployed.
Russia is the world leader in the development of supersonic cruise missiles, with much experience in the field inherited from the Soviet era. NPO Mashinostroyenia in particular has cooperated with India to design the BrahMos, a copy of the Russian P-800 Oniks anti-ship supersonic cruise missile, which also has land-attack capabilities.
The FT’s report contradicts a report published by Reuters last February, which revealed that Iran was nearing a deal with China to purchase CM‑302 supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles. The news agency said at the time that talks over the deal began two years earlier.
It is unclear why Iran would attempt to purchase such missiles from China, all while attempting to develop a similar weapon with help from Russia.
The latest report came as the U.S. renewed its strikes on Iran. It may very well be an attempt to justify the escalation and inflate tensions with Russia.
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